November 14, 2025 • 28 mins
It’s been a year since Donald Trump won the elections. And last week, voters elected candidates that are far from what Trump represents. Democrats made history in New York City, and they won big in places like Virginia, California, and New Jersey—and Latinos and Latinas, as usual, played a big role. But these victories don’t necessarily mean Democrats are poised to sweep in future elections, including the 2026 midterms. A panel of journalists discuss how the elusive so-called Latino vote influenced the most recent elections, and what lessons the Democratic Party should learn.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know Reggaeton, but do you know the whole story?
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hi?
Speaker 3 (00:04):
I'm Gini Montado, senior producer and sound designer of loud
The History of Regheton. Did you hear the news? Loud
is back by a popular demand. Listen to all ten
episodes that break down the beats, politics, and power behind
the genre. Hosted by Laota herself Evie Queen. Listen now
only on Spotify.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
A quick disclaimer because we recorded this conversation before Congress
advanced a deal to end the government shutdown with the
help of several Democrats who broke the party line, but
with democratic infighting back in the headlines, our conversation is
just as relevant as ever. It has been a year
(00:57):
since Donald Trump won the elections, and last week voters
elected candidates that are far, far far from what Trump
represents in some places making history, like in New York
(01:19):
City with Zoran Mamdani.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
He wants to change stuff.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
He doesn't want to be the same thing over and over.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
He really relates to like millennials gen z.
Speaker 6 (01:29):
But I also hope that there are more people like
him who are actually advocating for a better future.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
He will be the first Muslim and South Asian to
become mayor of New York City.
Speaker 7 (01:40):
The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far
from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best
efforts to grow older. I am Muslim, I am a
democratic socialist, and most damning of all, I refuse to
(02:05):
apologize for any of this.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Democrats also won big in places like Virginia.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
In the race for governor of Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger
defeated Republican Winsome Earl Sears, flipping the office from red
to blue.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
California, a yes vote on Proposition fifty would open the
door for Democrats to gain as many as five more
seats in Congress and New Jersey.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
New Jersey Governor elect Mikey Cheryl giving voice to what
is undoubtedly a bounce back moment for Democrats in New.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Jersey and Latinos and Latinas as usual played a big role.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
During the elections.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Earlier this week, Latino voters appear to have rebuked the
Trump administration, shifting back towards the left.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Now, it's been a whirlwind.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
So now that the emotions have settled, we're going to
take a breath and look ahead from Fuduro Media. It's
Latino USA. I'm Maria no Josa. Today a panel of
journalists joined me to discuss how last week's elections could
(03:11):
impact the future of the Democratic Party and next year's midterms,
and we're going to talk about the role that the elusive,
so called Latino vote plays in all of this. This moment,
I gotta say, is a little bit of deja vous
because last year, after the general elections, I was joined
(03:33):
by the same journalists that are joining me today. I'm
joined by Paula Ramos, who's a journalist and political commentator,
along with Jin Guerrero, who is a columnist and also
an investigative journalist. Now one year later, we decided to
invite them back, this time to analyze elections that had
a very different result. We all know now that Republicans
(03:57):
crushed it in twenty twenty four, lot of that with
the support of Latino and Latina voters, and now this
year Democrats are getting to take a victory lap. So
together we're going to sit down and figure out just
what's going on. But also this year we decided to
invite our very own Nood Saudi. She's a lead producer
(04:20):
at our investigative unit here at Futuro and also with
Latino USA. Welcome to Latino USA, to our great roundtable here.
And my first question is, and I'll start with you, Baula,
what is one your emotional state? You know, I love
to talk about this stuff, but also what is your
(04:41):
like political state?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
So just a quick round robin.
Speaker 6 (04:47):
I feel hopeful in the sense that I think, for
the first time in a long time, and I would
even say for the first time maybe since since Barack
Obama's election, there seems to be a movement that goes
beyond part lines, right, and I think that's where Zoran
is taking New York City. Even as journalists not to
be able to cover that and that feeling. I think
(05:09):
this is the first time, in honesty, in years where
I've been able to feel that hope in people.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
That's where I'm at.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Okay, she invoked Barack Obama. I can't believe you did that,
but okay I did. We're gonna take it as a
historical moment.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah, I'm echoing Tala's message of feeling of hope. You know,
I was born and raised in New York City, so
I've been here all my life and I'm a post
nine to eleven millennial Muslim, so I think like coming
up of age in that time. That's just as Zahan
Mamdani did, like you kind of like grow up with
this idea that you don't expect to see this happen
in our city, right, So yeah, I felt like definitely
(05:44):
hopeful that night, and also a little wary of like
the identity representation isn't everything, you know, Like hope should
be a catalyst, sure, right, not.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Like the endpoint, Jean.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
I feel hopeful too, cautiously optimistic. I just think it's
it's been such a long time since I think the
Democratic Party has reckoned with the need for creativity and
to think outside the box, and this election is very
much a.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Wake up call to do just that.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
I mean, the wins for Democrats were not endorsements of
the Democratic Party. They were acts of resistance against a
political order that has for too long benefited an elite
minority at the expense of everybody else.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
And the candidates ran as their own people.
Speaker 5 (06:29):
And I think this is hopeful because the Democratic Party
desperately needs to look in the mirror and start thinking
a lot more creatively in the ways that we saw
in this race.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
So Baola, you know New York City is it's the
place where diversity, as it were, for lack of another term,
it's all up against us.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
We live it.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
That's why we love New York. But if you travel
around the country, I mean, I see that same vibe,
smaller vibe Kansas City, Louisville, Kentucky, Omaha, Nebraska. It's so,
what do you think that the lessons are for the Democrats,
considering that New York is not such a kind of
(07:13):
outlier as it were in terms of the electoral representation
of the groups there.
Speaker 6 (07:17):
I think New York has always been cast as this
anomaly now, as this kind of progressive quote unquote radical
liberal BASTIONI but I like to remind people that this
is a city where the last two out of four
mayors were elected as Republicans. Right. This is a city
where not too long ago we elected a former cop,
a former Republican. Not only that Donald Trump's biggest swings
(07:40):
across the country were right here in New York City,
right from the Bronx to Queens. And so I think
in that sense, I think what there is to learn
is from the way in which Zorn didn't just mobilize
the traditional Democratic coalition, but what he added to that right,
he added disaffected, disillusioned young people who are in dependent right,
(08:01):
who are in a sense politically homeless, who have lost
complete interests in both Democrats and Republicans. Not only that,
he was also able to mobilize Trump supporters. Where he
did that in the primaries, he was able to go
into the precincts where Donald Trump did really well and
he won over those people.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
So what do you learn from that?
Speaker 6 (08:18):
I think you're seeing at the national level Democrats tiptoeing
around these very key moral issues. Right are you against
or are you for?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Immigration? Are you against or are you for trans people?
Speaker 6 (08:28):
It's simple, and I do think that Democrats need an
ideological movement that is rooted in very clear moral parameters,
and that, to me, is the only way.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
To kind of defeat trump Ism.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
And I think that, to me is where one can
learn from New York City.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
And again I mean young people. My sense is that
this generation does not want to stand by as a
genocide is happening. Obviously Mamdani did not shy away from that.
So what's your take away? Also, you have another added
part not only are you Palestinian Brooklyn woman, but you
(09:06):
live on Staten Island.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah. I mean, you know, obviously we saw the results.
Staten Island overwhelmingly still went out for Cuomo, right, But
when you look more deeply at like the districts, he
was doing so well in the very immigrant heavy neighborhoods,
like even in Staten Island, like the neighborhoods of like
Clifton and like on the North Shore, where there's predominantly
more immigrant communities. And I think that speaks to how
(09:28):
not only was he able to build like a diverse electorate,
but like he had a diverse coalition, right of the
people who went out and door knocked people from those
same immigrant communities were the ones talking to the folks
in the neighborhood and on the same level able to
explain like clearly, like what Paul was saying, like clearly
what his policies were and how he was going to
(09:49):
carry out those solutions, you know, for people.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
And I think that's what they resonated with.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
And I think Democrats should walk away from this knowing
that historically they have not been clear.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
On their messaging.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Right, they flip floted on all of these issues and
that doesn't resonate with voters.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
So, Gene, you are in La. A lot happened in California.
We could do a whole hour on what happened in California,
but for a national audience, what is the big takeaway
of voters in California and what do you think it
means for what we really want to be talking about,
which is twenty twenty six.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
Yeah, I mean with Proposition fifty, you saw something similar
with you know, with Mom Donnie being able to appeal
to Trump voters as well as people who opposed Trump.
You saw California counties that backed Trump in twenty twenty
four voting by double digits to remove their Republican representatives,
(10:47):
you know, voting for Proposition fifty in Fresno, in Merced
and Imperial County and San Bernardino. And I think it
just reflects this dissatisfaction with both political parties. I think
it would be a mistake to think that people voted
for Prop fifty in California because they have faith in
the Democrats. What they have faith in is their own
(11:09):
power to subvert the system as it is working right now,
and that is what Prop fifty was about in California,
and I think a big part of it was immigration,
the fact that so many of these border patrol and
ice arrests are targeting valued community members. I think that
(11:31):
wasn't the number one factor. The number one factor was
affordability and the economy and people wanting better lives and
systems that serve them. But I do think immigration was
part of it because Trump said, like, you know, I'm
going to deport all these people and it's going to
make your life better, And the reality that people are
seeing is that that's just not the case. In fact,
everything is getting more expensive, housing prices, food, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
We're going to take a quick break and coming up
on let you know, USA.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
It seems radical, whether you're Democrat or Republican, to be
talking about amnesty, to be talking about a pathway to citizenship,
but that is the only way to.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Stay with us, not deyes. Hey, We're back with journalists
(12:28):
Paul Ramos, Nur Saudi, and Jean Guerrero. We're talking about
the impact that Trump's mass deportations may be having on
voters and on future elections. So, Jean, you are an
expert on Stephen Miller. He is considered a mastermind of
the mass deportations and anti diversity slash white supremacy rhetoric.
(12:52):
What do you think is going on in his mind?
If you will, how much do you think the White
House is paying attention to what just happened as they
prep for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Well, I think Miller's scared. I would assume that they're
paying very close attention to this race. I don't think
that this means that they're going to change strategies, because
I think what they're counting on is the Democrats responding
in the same clueless way that they have in the
past and not creating a counter narrative on immigration. And
the way that they can do that is by tying
immigrant rights to workers' rights. Many Americans feel like their
(13:29):
basic needs are not being met, so they don't want
to think about this stranger when they're struggling. But the
thing is that this is not about strangers. This is
about millions of long time undocumented neighbors and valued community
members who are feeding your family and cooking your food
and caring for your elders. And so I think given
that immigration was a factor in these recent elections, and
(13:51):
you are seeing the Latino vote responding accordingly, not because
immigration is a number one issue, but because immigration and
the economy and affordability, all of these things are tied up.
You need the Democratic Party to start reframing the immigration
issue as a communal issue.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:06):
Look, I'm gonna be honest, I actually don't. I don't
think that Trump and Steven Miller are freaking out, and
that freaks me out. I've been nervous around the way
in which I have seen a very calm White House
that hasn't really been in this kind of emergency mode
(14:27):
after what we saw two tuesdays ago. And that tells
me that there's a certain complacency for a couple of reasons.
Number one, because for them, this goes beyond the politics, right,
like the mass uportations, for them is again rooted in
this like ideological driven mission that defies the politics.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Also, the complacency tells me that they're.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
Almost like not competing anymore, right, They're almost not like
competing for constituents and competing for votes. And that tells
me that there is a long term plan to hold
on to power in a way that they want is
to kind of fall into the trap with this like
illusion of democracy.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
This is going really dark, really fast.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
And I'm in a very pessimistic mode right now. And
call me crazy, but that's where my minds.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Are right now.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
That's pretty dark. That's why I'm having this tempered reaction.
I agree that there are some pretty sinister parts to this.
So I just want to make sure that we talk
very specifically about the Latino vote in places that whether
it was New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, all of these places
(15:35):
where you saw as it were a kind of blue wave.
So Gene, your kind of takeaway from Latino voters?
Speaker 5 (15:45):
Yes, and well, I think when I look at Proposition fifty,
the fact that Imperial County, which is the most Latino
county in California and also very much pro Trump, the
fact that they voted yes on Prop fifty by a
double digit margin, to me suggests that something really interesting
(16:07):
is going on, like I really, and I think it
kind of goes against this idea of there being a
vibe shift among Latinos. You know that the right word
shift that we saw in twenty twenty four was about
like some sort of fundamental realignment towards conservatism, like it
the votes for Trump among Latino communities in California were
a rejection of the establishment. So I think that's the
(16:29):
main sort of takeaway for me, that the politics of
scapegoating worked with many working class voters, including Latinos, for
a while because they wanted an easy solution to their problems.
But now you know, you're seeing mass deportations and the
militarization of cities, and nobody's life is getting better at
groceries are not getting cheaper, and it's like, oh, shoot,
(16:51):
we were duped and now let's do something else.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Which means bout for me, right, that the Latino and
Latina voter and the notion of a block is actually
becoming more and more like your typical US white voter,
which oftentimes votes against its own interests right solidly. The
(17:14):
black vote is in fact what delivered Mam Dannie his victory.
The black vote was essential. But what is your sense
of the takeaway nationally about Latino and Latina voters and
how do you think that your takeaway plays into twenty
twenty six.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
Yeah, I mean, I think the deeper narrative is that
this historically blue voting block maybe that is now politically homeless,
and that feels more independent is up for grabs and
now that was again does not mean that Democrats won
the Latino vote, and it does not mean that Democrat
Latino voters are now suddenly back to the Democratic Party.
(17:52):
It just means that we are persuadable and even someone
like Trump can win us over.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Hence the the US voter nud full of contradictions. Yeah,
perpetually changing its mind. It's hard to understand.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Yeah, I think something interesting to see is how you know,
even though again like Staten Island went for Cuomo overwhelmingly
the black and Latino neighborhoods in Staten Island that did
go for Cuomo in the primary, they flipped to Mamdani
in the general election. And I think that kind of
speaks to how he was able to have this very clear,
consistent messaging on affordability, as we saw with like the
(18:32):
Democratic elections in other places this past election, you know,
in Virginia and Jersey, even though they ran their campaigns
very differently from Mandani, these Democrats were still speaking to
that core issue of like affordability, which I think, yeah,
made an impact.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Will be right back, Yes, Hey, we're back. Let's jump
into our conversation again. All right, So the morning after
the election, I looked up the definition of radical. It
(19:08):
means to go to the route. You know, if it
weren't for radical politics, there wouldn't have been a revolution
in the United States and a civil war in the
United States. So Bow, if you were to give counsel,
then at one point you did give counsel to the
Democratic Party, what would you say that a more radical
politics actually looks like.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I would actually, I wouldn't use the word radical.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
I would say that, And I think that's the that's
the problem right that we have been And that's why
I mentioned Barack Obama when we started this conversation, because
Obama was to a one point considered radical, and the
only reason he was considered radical is because he allowed
people to dream beyond what was physically present and impossible.
(19:51):
So I think that's what Zoren is doing in a
way right where he is, he is basically saying what
what Trumpezzo has done, which is there's a way in
which you can imagine a better life outside of the system,
right where every single person can afford the same opportunities.
And there's absolutely nothing radical about that idea. Now, I
think now Republicans. What we're seeing is that they we
(20:14):
are about to enter a massive, massive narrative, ideological warfare
where this city will be deemed a radical communist city.
So I think I'm going to stop using the word
radical moving forward and kind of normalize the politics that
we're seeing in New York.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
You know, all right, Bob, what's your sense of what
radical politics could look like? Assuming we continue to use
that word for now?
Speaker 2 (20:41):
I mean, yeah, I think like going also like talking
about like the definition of radical in terms of politics, right,
Like it has always meant just change, changed to like
how a society's structure and system operates, whether it's the
political system or whatever. And I feel like for so
long Democrats have been rejecting change, and yet, like all
I said, like issues like affordable housing, healthcare, like raising
(21:04):
the minimum wage, like they're called radical, but they're like
actually super popular issues. I guess it was a really
big issue in twenty twenty four and in this election,
and that like the majority of Americans agreed on not
even just Democrats, And so by definition that can be radical, right,
Like it's the majority, Like it's not friends. The people
who are friends here are like the Democratic leaders who
are like refusing to listen to their base.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Free buses nationwide, Gene, get it of a free bus,
free childcare nationwide.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
It's a concept, Gene. Just quickly.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Your sense of radical politics for for the country is
for Latino and Latin have voters.
Speaker 5 (21:40):
Yeah, I mean, people are upset about economic inequality and
you cannot address that when you have a manufactured underclass.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
That you are ignoring.
Speaker 5 (21:52):
And right now it sounds radical. It seems radical, whether
you're a Democrat or Republican to be talking about amnesty,
to be talking about a pathway to citizenship. All of
these things sound so radical, like why even bring them up?
But that is the only way. I mean, you need
a pathway to citizenship for the millions of people whose
(22:14):
wages are suppressed and as a result of that suppression,
it contributes to economic inequality. Emancipating that manufactured underclass is
the only way to bring economic equality to working families
across the United States.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
And Democrats are so.
Speaker 5 (22:34):
Afraid of even approaching that issue. And that is why
Miller has been able to Stephen Miller has been able
to just monopolize the American imagination when it comes to
immigration because he links it to the issues that people
care about, and it's not just about you know, let's
do the right thing for the stranger. Let's be nice
(22:57):
to the stranger. They're not strangers. Until we recognize how
fundamentally linked our ability to progress economically is to theirs,
then we're going to be stuck in the same place.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Okay, So again, full transparency. What we are celebrating at
Futuro Media Latino USA is not the win of any
particular candidate or party. We are celebrating engagement in the
democratic process, and in particular, seeing Latino and Latina latinx
Latine voters engaged, especially young voters, is super important. But
(23:37):
in the vibe of celebrating what's your go to song
right now? Jin Gerero, that's making you feel like, yeah,
what is it?
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Oh my goodness, my go to song? Lately?
Speaker 5 (23:51):
I've actually been listening to the new Rosalia album. Yes,
I'm absolutely loving really key. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
I don't know why.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
It's just like the joyousness, the depth, the celebration of
multi lingualism.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
That's the song I'm listening to your go to song?
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Oh my god. If I'm gonna be honest on the show,
it's gonna sound so cliche, because like, I'm like a
single with a woman, and this is not why I'm
listening to this song, and it's not an invitation for
like d ms. But the very song Where's My Husband
is so good and I can't get out of my
(24:46):
head and I'm obsessed with it right now.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
So yeah, Where's my Husband?
Speaker 4 (24:51):
That is cracking me up.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
I'm with Geane.
Speaker 6 (24:54):
I've been obsessively listening To's last album. I think it's
spectacular and my favorite song is like you Lad. I
think it is beautiful. I'm obsessed.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
I love it, okay, and mine is okay, I'm late
to the game. But oh my god, doom Machalie, Oh
my god, is that nude.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Just like a super popular old Bollywood song?
Speaker 6 (25:32):
Okay, I have like I just I just discovered it.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Just is so thank you so much, Boo, thank you
so much, Gene, thank you so much, Nude.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
My guests were journalists. Her latest book is called Defectors,
The Rise of the Latino Far Right and what it
Means for America. Also journalist Jan Guerrero. Her latest book
is hate monger Stephen Miller, Donald Trump and the White
nationalist agenda, and we were also joined by our very
own Nur Saudi, who's a lead producer for Turo Media's
(26:10):
investigative unit and for Latino USA. This episode was produced
(26:32):
by Rebecca Evarra and Roman Marquez. It was edited by Benni,
Lei Ramirez and our managing editor Fernando Echavari. It was
mixed by Leah shaw Dameran. The Latino USA team also
includes Julia Caruso, Jessica Ellis Rinaldo, Leanos Junior, Stephanie Lebau,
Luise Luna, Julieta Martinelli, Monica Moreles Garcia, JJ Carubin, Adriana
(26:55):
Rodriguez and Nancy Trucchuillo. Benile and I are executive producce
ducers and I'm your host Marieno Josa. Latino USA is
part of Iheart's Mike Worduda podcast network. Executive producers at
iHeart our Leo Gomez and Arlene Santana join us again
on our next episode and in the meantime, look for
us on all of your social media, and dear listener,
(27:18):
don't forget to join Futuo Plus.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
You'll get to listen to episodes.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
At free and you get bonus content and cheesemey and
also you're gonna feel so good about supporting Fututo Media,
which we know you love as that Approxima not bayes Chao.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Latino USA is made possible in part by the Ford Foundation,
working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide,
the Tao Foundation, and the Heising Simons Foundation, unlocking knowledge,
opportunity and possibilities.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
More at hsfoundation dot org.
You know Reggaeton, but do you know the whole story?
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hi?
Speaker 3 (00:04):
I'm Gini Montado, senior producer and sound designer of loud
The History of Regheton. Did you hear the news? Loud
is back by a popular demand. Listen to all ten
episodes that break down the beats, politics, and power behind
the genre. Hosted by Laota herself Evie Queen. Listen now
only on Spotify.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
A quick disclaimer because we recorded this conversation before Congress
advanced a deal to end the government shutdown with the
help of several Democrats who broke the party line, but
with democratic infighting back in the headlines, our conversation is
just as relevant as ever. It has been a year
(00:57):
since Donald Trump won the elections, and last week voters
elected candidates that are far, far far from what Trump
represents in some places making history, like in New York
(01:19):
City with Zoran Mamdani.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
He wants to change stuff.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
He doesn't want to be the same thing over and over.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
He really relates to like millennials gen z.
Speaker 6 (01:29):
But I also hope that there are more people like
him who are actually advocating for a better future.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
He will be the first Muslim and South Asian to
become mayor of New York City.
Speaker 7 (01:40):
The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far
from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best
efforts to grow older. I am Muslim, I am a
democratic socialist, and most damning of all, I refuse to
(02:05):
apologize for any of this.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Democrats also won big in places like Virginia.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
In the race for governor of Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger
defeated Republican Winsome Earl Sears, flipping the office from red
to blue.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
California, a yes vote on Proposition fifty would open the
door for Democrats to gain as many as five more
seats in Congress and New Jersey.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
New Jersey Governor elect Mikey Cheryl giving voice to what
is undoubtedly a bounce back moment for Democrats in New.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Jersey and Latinos and Latinas as usual played a big role.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
During the elections.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Earlier this week, Latino voters appear to have rebuked the
Trump administration, shifting back towards the left.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Now, it's been a whirlwind.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
So now that the emotions have settled, we're going to
take a breath and look ahead from Fuduro Media. It's
Latino USA. I'm Maria no Josa. Today a panel of
journalists joined me to discuss how last week's elections could
(03:11):
impact the future of the Democratic Party and next year's midterms,
and we're going to talk about the role that the elusive,
so called Latino vote plays in all of this. This moment,
I gotta say, is a little bit of deja vous
because last year, after the general elections, I was joined
(03:33):
by the same journalists that are joining me today. I'm
joined by Paula Ramos, who's a journalist and political commentator,
along with Jin Guerrero, who is a columnist and also
an investigative journalist. Now one year later, we decided to
invite them back, this time to analyze elections that had
a very different result. We all know now that Republicans
(03:57):
crushed it in twenty twenty four, lot of that with
the support of Latino and Latina voters, and now this
year Democrats are getting to take a victory lap. So
together we're going to sit down and figure out just
what's going on. But also this year we decided to
invite our very own Nood Saudi. She's a lead producer
(04:20):
at our investigative unit here at Futuro and also with
Latino USA. Welcome to Latino USA, to our great roundtable here.
And my first question is, and I'll start with you, Baula,
what is one your emotional state? You know, I love
to talk about this stuff, but also what is your
(04:41):
like political state?
Speaker 1 (04:43):
So just a quick round robin.
Speaker 6 (04:47):
I feel hopeful in the sense that I think, for
the first time in a long time, and I would
even say for the first time maybe since since Barack
Obama's election, there seems to be a movement that goes
beyond part lines, right, and I think that's where Zoran
is taking New York City. Even as journalists not to
be able to cover that and that feeling. I think
(05:09):
this is the first time, in honesty, in years where
I've been able to feel that hope in people.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
That's where I'm at.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Okay, she invoked Barack Obama. I can't believe you did that,
but okay I did. We're gonna take it as a
historical moment.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah, I'm echoing Tala's message of feeling of hope. You know,
I was born and raised in New York City, so
I've been here all my life and I'm a post
nine to eleven millennial Muslim, so I think like coming
up of age in that time. That's just as Zahan
Mamdani did, like you kind of like grow up with
this idea that you don't expect to see this happen
in our city, right, So yeah, I felt like definitely
(05:44):
hopeful that night, and also a little wary of like
the identity representation isn't everything, you know, Like hope should
be a catalyst, sure, right, not.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Like the endpoint, Jean.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
I feel hopeful too, cautiously optimistic. I just think it's
it's been such a long time since I think the
Democratic Party has reckoned with the need for creativity and
to think outside the box, and this election is very
much a.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Wake up call to do just that.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
I mean, the wins for Democrats were not endorsements of
the Democratic Party. They were acts of resistance against a
political order that has for too long benefited an elite
minority at the expense of everybody else.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
And the candidates ran as their own people.
Speaker 5 (06:29):
And I think this is hopeful because the Democratic Party
desperately needs to look in the mirror and start thinking
a lot more creatively in the ways that we saw
in this race.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
So Baola, you know New York City is it's the
place where diversity, as it were, for lack of another term,
it's all up against us.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
We live it.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
That's why we love New York. But if you travel
around the country, I mean, I see that same vibe,
smaller vibe Kansas City, Louisville, Kentucky, Omaha, Nebraska. It's so,
what do you think that the lessons are for the Democrats,
considering that New York is not such a kind of
(07:13):
outlier as it were in terms of the electoral representation
of the groups there.
Speaker 6 (07:17):
I think New York has always been cast as this
anomaly now, as this kind of progressive quote unquote radical
liberal BASTIONI but I like to remind people that this
is a city where the last two out of four
mayors were elected as Republicans. Right. This is a city
where not too long ago we elected a former cop,
a former Republican. Not only that Donald Trump's biggest swings
(07:40):
across the country were right here in New York City,
right from the Bronx to Queens. And so I think
in that sense, I think what there is to learn
is from the way in which Zorn didn't just mobilize
the traditional Democratic coalition, but what he added to that right,
he added disaffected, disillusioned young people who are in dependent right,
(08:01):
who are in a sense politically homeless, who have lost
complete interests in both Democrats and Republicans. Not only that,
he was also able to mobilize Trump supporters. Where he
did that in the primaries, he was able to go
into the precincts where Donald Trump did really well and
he won over those people.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
So what do you learn from that?
Speaker 6 (08:18):
I think you're seeing at the national level Democrats tiptoeing
around these very key moral issues. Right are you against
or are you for?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Immigration? Are you against or are you for trans people?
Speaker 6 (08:28):
It's simple, and I do think that Democrats need an
ideological movement that is rooted in very clear moral parameters,
and that, to me, is the only way.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
To kind of defeat trump Ism.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
And I think that, to me is where one can
learn from New York City.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
And again I mean young people. My sense is that
this generation does not want to stand by as a
genocide is happening. Obviously Mamdani did not shy away from that.
So what's your take away? Also, you have another added
part not only are you Palestinian Brooklyn woman, but you
(09:06):
live on Staten Island.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah. I mean, you know, obviously we saw the results.
Staten Island overwhelmingly still went out for Cuomo, right, But
when you look more deeply at like the districts, he
was doing so well in the very immigrant heavy neighborhoods,
like even in Staten Island, like the neighborhoods of like
Clifton and like on the North Shore, where there's predominantly
more immigrant communities. And I think that speaks to how
(09:28):
not only was he able to build like a diverse electorate,
but like he had a diverse coalition, right of the
people who went out and door knocked people from those
same immigrant communities were the ones talking to the folks
in the neighborhood and on the same level able to
explain like clearly, like what Paul was saying, like clearly
what his policies were and how he was going to
(09:49):
carry out those solutions, you know, for people.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
And I think that's what they resonated with.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
And I think Democrats should walk away from this knowing
that historically they have not been clear.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
On their messaging.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Right, they flip floted on all of these issues and
that doesn't resonate with voters.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
So, Gene, you are in La. A lot happened in California.
We could do a whole hour on what happened in California,
but for a national audience, what is the big takeaway
of voters in California and what do you think it
means for what we really want to be talking about,
which is twenty twenty six.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
Yeah, I mean with Proposition fifty, you saw something similar
with you know, with Mom Donnie being able to appeal
to Trump voters as well as people who opposed Trump.
You saw California counties that backed Trump in twenty twenty
four voting by double digits to remove their Republican representatives,
(10:47):
you know, voting for Proposition fifty in Fresno, in Merced
and Imperial County and San Bernardino. And I think it
just reflects this dissatisfaction with both political parties. I think
it would be a mistake to think that people voted
for Prop fifty in California because they have faith in
the Democrats. What they have faith in is their own
(11:09):
power to subvert the system as it is working right now,
and that is what Prop fifty was about in California,
and I think a big part of it was immigration,
the fact that so many of these border patrol and
ice arrests are targeting valued community members. I think that
(11:31):
wasn't the number one factor. The number one factor was
affordability and the economy and people wanting better lives and
systems that serve them. But I do think immigration was
part of it because Trump said, like, you know, I'm
going to deport all these people and it's going to
make your life better, And the reality that people are
seeing is that that's just not the case. In fact,
everything is getting more expensive, housing prices, food, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
We're going to take a quick break and coming up
on let you know, USA.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
It seems radical, whether you're Democrat or Republican, to be
talking about amnesty, to be talking about a pathway to citizenship,
but that is the only way to.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Stay with us, not deyes. Hey, We're back with journalists
(12:28):
Paul Ramos, Nur Saudi, and Jean Guerrero. We're talking about
the impact that Trump's mass deportations may be having on
voters and on future elections. So, Jean, you are an
expert on Stephen Miller. He is considered a mastermind of
the mass deportations and anti diversity slash white supremacy rhetoric.
(12:52):
What do you think is going on in his mind?
If you will, how much do you think the White
House is paying attention to what just happened as they
prep for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Well, I think Miller's scared. I would assume that they're
paying very close attention to this race. I don't think
that this means that they're going to change strategies, because
I think what they're counting on is the Democrats responding
in the same clueless way that they have in the
past and not creating a counter narrative on immigration. And
the way that they can do that is by tying
immigrant rights to workers' rights. Many Americans feel like their
(13:29):
basic needs are not being met, so they don't want
to think about this stranger when they're struggling. But the
thing is that this is not about strangers. This is
about millions of long time undocumented neighbors and valued community
members who are feeding your family and cooking your food
and caring for your elders. And so I think given
that immigration was a factor in these recent elections, and
(13:51):
you are seeing the Latino vote responding accordingly, not because
immigration is a number one issue, but because immigration and
the economy and affordability, all of these things are tied up.
You need the Democratic Party to start reframing the immigration
issue as a communal issue.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (14:06):
Look, I'm gonna be honest, I actually don't. I don't
think that Trump and Steven Miller are freaking out, and
that freaks me out. I've been nervous around the way
in which I have seen a very calm White House
that hasn't really been in this kind of emergency mode
(14:27):
after what we saw two tuesdays ago. And that tells
me that there's a certain complacency for a couple of reasons.
Number one, because for them, this goes beyond the politics, right,
like the mass uportations, for them is again rooted in
this like ideological driven mission that defies the politics.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Also, the complacency tells me that they're.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
Almost like not competing anymore, right, They're almost not like
competing for constituents and competing for votes. And that tells
me that there is a long term plan to hold
on to power in a way that they want is
to kind of fall into the trap with this like
illusion of democracy.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
This is going really dark, really fast.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
And I'm in a very pessimistic mode right now. And
call me crazy, but that's where my minds.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Are right now.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
That's pretty dark. That's why I'm having this tempered reaction.
I agree that there are some pretty sinister parts to this.
So I just want to make sure that we talk
very specifically about the Latino vote in places that whether
it was New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, all of these places
(15:35):
where you saw as it were a kind of blue wave.
So Gene, your kind of takeaway from Latino voters?
Speaker 5 (15:45):
Yes, and well, I think when I look at Proposition fifty,
the fact that Imperial County, which is the most Latino
county in California and also very much pro Trump, the
fact that they voted yes on Prop fifty by a
double digit margin, to me suggests that something really interesting
(16:07):
is going on, like I really, and I think it
kind of goes against this idea of there being a
vibe shift among Latinos. You know that the right word
shift that we saw in twenty twenty four was about
like some sort of fundamental realignment towards conservatism, like it
the votes for Trump among Latino communities in California were
a rejection of the establishment. So I think that's the
(16:29):
main sort of takeaway for me, that the politics of
scapegoating worked with many working class voters, including Latinos, for
a while because they wanted an easy solution to their problems.
But now you know, you're seeing mass deportations and the
militarization of cities, and nobody's life is getting better at
groceries are not getting cheaper, and it's like, oh, shoot,
(16:51):
we were duped and now let's do something else.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Which means bout for me, right, that the Latino and
Latina voter and the notion of a block is actually
becoming more and more like your typical US white voter,
which oftentimes votes against its own interests right solidly. The
(17:14):
black vote is in fact what delivered Mam Dannie his victory.
The black vote was essential. But what is your sense
of the takeaway nationally about Latino and Latina voters and
how do you think that your takeaway plays into twenty
twenty six.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
Yeah, I mean, I think the deeper narrative is that
this historically blue voting block maybe that is now politically homeless,
and that feels more independent is up for grabs and
now that was again does not mean that Democrats won
the Latino vote, and it does not mean that Democrat
Latino voters are now suddenly back to the Democratic Party.
(17:52):
It just means that we are persuadable and even someone
like Trump can win us over.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Hence the the US voter nud full of contradictions. Yeah,
perpetually changing its mind. It's hard to understand.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Yeah, I think something interesting to see is how you know,
even though again like Staten Island went for Cuomo overwhelmingly
the black and Latino neighborhoods in Staten Island that did
go for Cuomo in the primary, they flipped to Mamdani
in the general election. And I think that kind of
speaks to how he was able to have this very clear,
consistent messaging on affordability, as we saw with like the
(18:32):
Democratic elections in other places this past election, you know,
in Virginia and Jersey, even though they ran their campaigns
very differently from Mandani, these Democrats were still speaking to
that core issue of like affordability, which I think, yeah,
made an impact.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Will be right back, Yes, Hey, we're back. Let's jump
into our conversation again. All right, So the morning after
the election, I looked up the definition of radical. It
(19:08):
means to go to the route. You know, if it
weren't for radical politics, there wouldn't have been a revolution
in the United States and a civil war in the
United States. So Bow, if you were to give counsel,
then at one point you did give counsel to the
Democratic Party, what would you say that a more radical
politics actually looks like.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
I would actually, I wouldn't use the word radical.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
I would say that, And I think that's the that's
the problem right that we have been And that's why
I mentioned Barack Obama when we started this conversation, because
Obama was to a one point considered radical, and the
only reason he was considered radical is because he allowed
people to dream beyond what was physically present and impossible.
(19:51):
So I think that's what Zoren is doing in a
way right where he is, he is basically saying what
what Trumpezzo has done, which is there's a way in
which you can imagine a better life outside of the system,
right where every single person can afford the same opportunities.
And there's absolutely nothing radical about that idea. Now, I
think now Republicans. What we're seeing is that they we
(20:14):
are about to enter a massive, massive narrative, ideological warfare
where this city will be deemed a radical communist city.
So I think I'm going to stop using the word
radical moving forward and kind of normalize the politics that
we're seeing in New York.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
You know, all right, Bob, what's your sense of what
radical politics could look like? Assuming we continue to use
that word for now?
Speaker 2 (20:41):
I mean, yeah, I think like going also like talking
about like the definition of radical in terms of politics, right,
Like it has always meant just change, changed to like
how a society's structure and system operates, whether it's the
political system or whatever. And I feel like for so
long Democrats have been rejecting change, and yet, like all
I said, like issues like affordable housing, healthcare, like raising
(21:04):
the minimum wage, like they're called radical, but they're like
actually super popular issues. I guess it was a really
big issue in twenty twenty four and in this election,
and that like the majority of Americans agreed on not
even just Democrats, And so by definition that can be radical, right,
Like it's the majority, Like it's not friends. The people
who are friends here are like the Democratic leaders who
are like refusing to listen to their base.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Free buses nationwide, Gene, get it of a free bus,
free childcare nationwide.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
It's a concept, Gene. Just quickly.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Your sense of radical politics for for the country is
for Latino and Latin have voters.
Speaker 5 (21:40):
Yeah, I mean, people are upset about economic inequality and
you cannot address that when you have a manufactured underclass.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
That you are ignoring.
Speaker 5 (21:52):
And right now it sounds radical. It seems radical, whether
you're a Democrat or Republican to be talking about amnesty,
to be talking about a pathway to citizenship. All of
these things sound so radical, like why even bring them up?
But that is the only way. I mean, you need
a pathway to citizenship for the millions of people whose
(22:14):
wages are suppressed and as a result of that suppression,
it contributes to economic inequality. Emancipating that manufactured underclass is
the only way to bring economic equality to working families
across the United States.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
And Democrats are so.
Speaker 5 (22:34):
Afraid of even approaching that issue. And that is why
Miller has been able to Stephen Miller has been able
to just monopolize the American imagination when it comes to
immigration because he links it to the issues that people
care about, and it's not just about you know, let's
do the right thing for the stranger. Let's be nice
(22:57):
to the stranger. They're not strangers. Until we recognize how
fundamentally linked our ability to progress economically is to theirs,
then we're going to be stuck in the same place.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Okay, So again, full transparency. What we are celebrating at
Futuro Media Latino USA is not the win of any
particular candidate or party. We are celebrating engagement in the
democratic process, and in particular, seeing Latino and Latina latinx
Latine voters engaged, especially young voters, is super important. But
(23:37):
in the vibe of celebrating what's your go to song
right now? Jin Gerero, that's making you feel like, yeah,
what is it?
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Oh my goodness, my go to song? Lately?
Speaker 5 (23:51):
I've actually been listening to the new Rosalia album. Yes,
I'm absolutely loving really key. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
I don't know why.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
It's just like the joyousness, the depth, the celebration of
multi lingualism.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
That's the song I'm listening to your go to song?
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Oh my god. If I'm gonna be honest on the show,
it's gonna sound so cliche, because like, I'm like a
single with a woman, and this is not why I'm
listening to this song, and it's not an invitation for
like d ms. But the very song Where's My Husband
is so good and I can't get out of my
(24:46):
head and I'm obsessed with it right now.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
So yeah, Where's my Husband?
Speaker 4 (24:51):
That is cracking me up.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
I'm with Geane.
Speaker 6 (24:54):
I've been obsessively listening To's last album. I think it's
spectacular and my favorite song is like you Lad. I
think it is beautiful. I'm obsessed.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
I love it, okay, and mine is okay, I'm late
to the game. But oh my god, doom Machalie, Oh
my god, is that nude.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Just like a super popular old Bollywood song?
Speaker 6 (25:32):
Okay, I have like I just I just discovered it.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Just is so thank you so much, Boo, thank you
so much, Gene, thank you so much, Nude.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
My guests were journalists. Her latest book is called Defectors,
The Rise of the Latino Far Right and what it
Means for America. Also journalist Jan Guerrero. Her latest book
is hate monger Stephen Miller, Donald Trump and the White
nationalist agenda, and we were also joined by our very
own Nur Saudi, who's a lead producer for Turo Media's
(26:10):
investigative unit and for Latino USA. This episode was produced
(26:32):
by Rebecca Evarra and Roman Marquez. It was edited by Benni,
Lei Ramirez and our managing editor Fernando Echavari. It was
mixed by Leah shaw Dameran. The Latino USA team also
includes Julia Caruso, Jessica Ellis Rinaldo, Leanos Junior, Stephanie Lebau,
Luise Luna, Julieta Martinelli, Monica Moreles Garcia, JJ Carubin, Adriana
(26:55):
Rodriguez and Nancy Trucchuillo. Benile and I are executive producce
ducers and I'm your host Marieno Josa. Latino USA is
part of Iheart's Mike Worduda podcast network. Executive producers at
iHeart our Leo Gomez and Arlene Santana join us again
on our next episode and in the meantime, look for
us on all of your social media, and dear listener,
(27:18):
don't forget to join Futuo Plus.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
You'll get to listen to episodes.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
At free and you get bonus content and cheesemey and
also you're gonna feel so good about supporting Fututo Media,
which we know you love as that Approxima not bayes Chao.
Speaker 3 (27:38):
Latino USA is made possible in part by the Ford Foundation,
working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide,
the Tao Foundation, and the Heising Simons Foundation, unlocking knowledge,
opportunity and possibilities.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
More at hsfoundation dot org.
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